Litter decomposition in Mediterranean pine forests is enhanced by reduced canopy cover

Gliksman, Daniel; Haenel, Sabine; Osem, Yagil; Yakir, Dan; Zangy, Ela; Preisler, Yakir; Grünzweig, José M.

doi:10.1007/s11104-017-3366-y

Cited by 32 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…However, vegetation was regularly and carefully removed from each chamber during the experiment, which caused a reduction in canopy cover and an increase in ultraviolet radiation in the chambers. Lower canopy cover and higher ultraviolet radiation are conducive to litter decomposition (Baker and Allison, 2015;Gliksman et al, 2017). With the decomposition of litter, more nutrients enter the soil, which contribute to N 2 O emission (Marhan et al, 2015).…”

Section: N 2 O Fluxes From Savanna Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of precipitation exclusion on N2O emissions in a savanna ecosystem in SW China

Jin

Liu

et al. 2018

Atmospheric Environment

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Savanna ecosystems play a crucial role in global N 2 O emissions. However, our understanding of N 2 O emissions under limiting precipitation conditions is lacking. This study evaluates the effects of precipitation reduction on soil N 2 O fluxes from a woody savanna ecosystem in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Precipitation exclusion shelters were installed above the tree canopy, and four total treatments were established as follows: a control (CK) and precipitation exclusions of 30% (PE3), 50% (PE5), and 70% (PE7). Two years (2015)(2016) of N 2 O fluxes, soil temperature and soil water content data were collected. The N 2 O fluxes were generally low, ranging from 0.039 to 0.245 mg N m −2 day −1 , and they were strongly linked to precipitation events. Additionally, the N 2 O fluxes during the rainy season were significantly greater than those during the dry season. The maximum N 2 O flux was observed in August, and the minimum flux occurred in December. Precipitation exclusion had a significant negative influence on the N 2 O fluxes. The N 2 O emissions of CK, PE3, PE5, and PE7 were 0.20, 0.17, 0.13, and 0.12 kg N ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. With the exacerbation of precipitation exclusion, the decrease rate of precipitation exclusion on the N 2 O emissions increased over the entire year (eventually reaching 41.8% in PE7), but the decrease rate of precipitation exclusion on the soil N 2 O emission during the dry season was stronger than that during the rainy season. Additionally, the proportion of dry season N 2 O emissions to total annual emissions decreased (from 45% to 41%), and that of rainy season N 2 O emissions to total annual emissions increased (from 55% to 59%) over the year, whereas they exhibited a stable trend from PE5. The data show that the Yuanjiang savanna is a net source of N 2 O; precipitation reduction decreases the N 2 O emissions in the savanna regions, indicating that precipitation reduction can only slow the increase in the N 2 O concentration in the atmosphere and can therefore slow global warming. In addition, the N 2 O emissions during the dry season may play a significant role in total N 2 O emissions and be more sensitive to precipitation reduction than those during rainy season. These possibilities should be considered in future studies, especially in those ecosystems that experience substantial inter-annual climatic fluctuations.

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Section: N 2 O Fluxes From Savanna Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of precipitation exclusion on N2O emissions in a savanna ecosystem in SW China

Jin

Liu

et al. 2018

Atmospheric Environment

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“…Photodegradation involves direct (photochemical mineralization) and indirect (photofacilitation) breakdown of organic matter mediated by sunlight which, alongside warm temperatures and high humidity, can accelerate the decomposition of plant litter (Brandt et al 2007; Gallo et al 2006, 2009; Almagro et al 2015; Ma et al 2017). Factors that enhance the exposure of plant litter to sunlight, such as changes to forest structure or phenology, modulate photodegradation and are an important environmental variable controlling decomposition rate in Mediterranean forests (Bravo-Oviedo et al 2017; Gliksman et al 2017). Decomposition rate partly governs nutrient cycling (Austin and Vivanco 2006) and successional processes in the plant and belowground communities (Fahey et al 1998; Bardgett et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solar UV-A radiation and blue light enhance tree leaf litter decomposition in a temperate forest

et al. 2019

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Sunlight can accelerate the decomposition process through an ensemble of direct and indirect processes known as photodegradation. Although photodegradation is widely studied in arid environments, there have been few studies in temperate regions. This experiment investigated how exposure to solar radiation, and specifically UV-B, UV-A, and blue light, affects leaf litter decomposition under a temperate forest canopy in France. For this purpose, we employed custom-made litterbags built using filters that attenuated different regions of the solar spectrum. Litter mass loss and carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio of three species: European ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ), differing in their leaf traits and decomposition rate, were analysed over a period of 7–10 months. Over the entire period, the effect of treatments attenuating blue light and solar UV radiation on leaf litter decomposition was similar to that of our dark treatment, where litter lost 20–30% less mass and had a lower C:N ratio than under the full-spectrum treatment. Moreover, decomposition was affected more by the filter treatment than mesh size, which controlled access by mesofauna. The effect of filter treatment differed among the three species and appeared to depend on litter quality (and especially C:N), producing the greatest effect in recalcitrant litter ( F. sylvatica ). Even under the reduced irradiance found in the understorey of a temperate forest, UV radiation and blue light remain important in accelerating surface litter decomposition. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00442-019-04478-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…This would lead to increased soil temperature, and in turn, higher decomposition rates through enhanced microbial activity (Eliasson et al, 2005;Hartley et al, 2007;Rutledge et al, 2010). Increased solar radiation may also lead to greater photochemical breakdown of the recalcitrant litter compounds such as lignin and tannins, further enhancing the release of CO2 from soil (Austin et al, 2016;Gliksman et al, 2018;Rutledge et al, 2010). Photodegradation, however, may not greatly influence soil carbon content, as UV radiation does not penetrate into the soil (Moorhead and Callaghan, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Canopy removal may also impact upon soil water content; increased surface air heat loss during the night post-clearance would lead to higher dew formation (Gliksman et al, 2018;Xiao et al, 2009) and potentially higher microbial activity as a result (Gliksman et al, 2017). Canopy interception of rainfall also results in less water reaching the ground (Llorens and Domingo, 2007), and its clearance will result in lower evapotranspiration.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reduced soil respiration beneath invasive Rhododendron ponticum persists after cutting and is related to substrate quality rather than microbial community

Jones

Scullion

Allison

et al. 2019

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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Litter decomposition in Mediterranean pine forests is enhanced by reduced canopy cover

Cited by 32 publications

References 64 publications

Effects of precipitation exclusion on N2O emissions in a savanna ecosystem in SW China

Effects of precipitation exclusion on N2O emissions in a savanna ecosystem in SW China

Solar UV-A radiation and blue light enhance tree leaf litter decomposition in a temperate forest

Reduced soil respiration beneath invasive Rhododendron ponticum persists after cutting and is related to substrate quality rather than microbial community

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